Provenance: Purchased at “Den Permanente” in Copenhagen by seller in 1952.

Literature: Grete Jalk [ed.]: “40 Years of Danish Furniture Design”, vol. 3, ill. p. 123.

In 1949, Finn Juhl collaborated with master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder on a presentation for the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition. In a year that in many ways marked the definitive breakthrough for Danish furniture design, this particular stand represented the pinnacle of Juhl’s creative mastery. The ensemble featured several of the 20th century’s most significant design icons, including the Chieftain Chair, the Egyptian Chair, and the exceedingly rare Chieftain Sofa. The exhibition showcased Juhl’s intuitive grasp of form, color, and materiality; his furniture formed a functional and aesthetic unity, interacting with art and lighting to leave a lasting impression on all visitors. While the Egyptian Chair and the Chieftain Chair entered production in the following years, the Chieftain Sofa was produced in only a very limited number of examples.

To date, only two examples of this sofa, crafted by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, are known to exist. One is currently held in the collection of Designmuseum Denmark; the other is the present sofa, offered at our upcoming design auction. The Designmuseum's example features six buttons in the backrest. The 1949 Guild Exhibition sofa was crafted with seven buttons - same number found on the sofa offered at this upcoming design auction. It is pressumably the original exhibition piece from 1949.